Churchyard Walls and Gate Piers to St Mary's Abbey Church

The churchyard walls and gate piers to St Mary's Abbey Church date from the 18th century. They feature a pair of gate piers made of ashlar stone, shaped in a cruciform section. These piers support capped upstands on decorated corbels, with a projecting band beneath. Between the piers are ornate double cast iron gates. The top rails of the gates curve upward towards the center, where they are adorned with fleur-de-lis finials and a frieze of scroll-work. The uprights are bound with bands of linked ovals and have arched heads topped with ornate pendant finials. The lock bar also features scroll-work, and there are low dog rails with tall pointed finials set within curved motifs, along with stylised crosses in the bottom angles.

The churchyard walls, which flank the gates, are constructed of rubble stone and vary in height. Some areas retain saddleback coping, while others are rendered. There are remains of former openings in the north wall, which are now blocked. A late 20th-century entrance with a round arch is located immediately north of the Stones Museum, beyond which is a small lean-to structure.